School-desk.



No. 816,272. PATENTED MAR. 27, 1906.

- W. H. STOGKMAN.

SCHOOL DESK. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

-1 Io.816 ,27.2. PATENTED MARI 27, 1906.

W. H. STOOKMAN.

SCHOOL DESK.

APPLICATION 211.21) MAILB, 1905.

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W. H. STOCK mllzhm i Gtoa/Lmanihueninn UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

WVILLIAM H. STOOKMAN, OF BUFFALO. NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS H. WVALL, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

SCHOOL-DESK- Specification of Letters Patent.

Latented March 27, 1906.

Application filed March 3, 1905. Serial No. 248,304.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,WILLIAM H. STOCKMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in School-Desks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in school-desks, and more particularly to such in which an extensible top is provided to be moved toward and from the person using the desk, thereby permitting the person to conveniently seat himself when the desk-top is slid rearward and after being seated draw the said top forward toward the body, so as to provide a convenient arm-rest and render the desk more convenient for use when the body is held erect.

The objects of my invention are the production of a comfortable desk of this type which is simple, durable, and economical in construction and free and noiseless in action and to provide a construction which will perrnit the employment of the ornamental iron side standards now so commonly in use, so that the design of any desk may be copied and my invention embodied in the construction of the desk, thereby providing for placing them in school-rooms having desks with fixed tops. In this manner old desks can be gradually replaced with desks having extensible tops and all desks in the school will be of the same design and appearance. Such desks as become marred, cut up, or broken can from time to time be replaced with my improved desks.

To this end the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts to be hereinafter described, and par ticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved desk, the shield cover ing the flexible end of the desk-top being removed. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fractional side elevation of the desk, showing the shield secured thereto. Fig. 3 is a fractional central section of the desk, taken on a plane parallel with the sides thereof, the flexibleinner end of the desk-top entering the slotted sides or standards of the desk. Fig. 4 is a similar view with the desk-top drawn outward. Fig. 5 is an inverted view of the desk-top on a reduced scale. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line 11 y, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line 2 .2,

Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a detached perspective view of the shield for covering the flexible rear end of the desk-top when in the guide-slots. Fig. 9 is a section similar to Figs. 3 and 4, the top ledge and the desk-top being removed.

Referring to the drawings in detail, like numerals of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

The reference-numerall designates the ornamental iron side standards connected by the usual cross-bar 2, the curved back 3, and the book-shelf 4 underneath the top 5. The side standards have the usual pivoted seatsupports 6, onto which the seat 7 is secured to render it capable of being swung against the back 3. These parts may of course be otherwise formed and connected and at present vary considerable in standard desks.

The standards 1 are provided at their rear ends with guide-slots 8, preferably disposed at a slight angle to vertical and having their upper ends curved forward, as at 9, the front walls 10 of said slots terminating in line with the supporting edge 11 of the standard, and the rear walls 12 of said slots curving forward over the curved portion of the front walls 10 thereof and forming the front edge of an elevated portion 13 on each of the standards. Said elevated portions are elevated above the upper edges of the main portions of the standards a distance equal to the thickness of the desk-top, and held to the same is a stationary ledge 14, which may be grooved, as at 15, to retain penholders, pencils, &c. The upper ends of said elevated portions are provided with opposite flanges or ribs 16 and with a dovetailed portion 17 above said flanges. (See Fig. 7.) The ledge 14 is supported on said flanges and provided with dovetailed grooves 18 to permit of sliding the same onto the said elevated portions. Said ledge extends forward beyond the front ends of the elevated portions of the standards and overhangs to cover a portion of the desk-top.

The desk-top is provided with a flexible or curtain rear end portion 19, consisting of a series of slats 20, connected together by flexible bands or straps 21, the curtain portion being connected by means of said bands or straps to the solid front portion 22 of the top.

The upper end of each standard is provided with a lateral flange or rib 23 on its outer face a short distance from its edge and with two lateral flanges 24 25 on its inner face, sepa rated by a groove 26. The flanges 24 are at the upper extremities of the standards and above the flanges 25, and the latter are on a level with the flanges 23 on the outer faces of the standards. The flanges 23 and 25 serve to support the desktop, while the flange 24 acts to hold said top to the standards and to guide said top in its movement.

The desk-top is provided with. two parallel grooves 27, extending from the rear end there'- of to within a short distance from its front end, said grooves being widened inward through a portion of their length to receive metal strips 28, having each a lateral flange 29 extending into said grooves. In securing the desk-top to the standards the rear portion thereof is set onto said standards with the upper end portions above the flanges 23 25 within the grooves. The top is then forced rearward to cause the flanges on the metal strips 28 to enter the grooves 26 in the inner faces of the standards, thus holding the top slidably on the standards. The curtain or flexible rear portion of the top curves downward and enters the guide-slots 8, and when the top is forced rearward to its full limit the solid portion only of the top is exposed to view. By means of this construction a desk with overhanging sides is provided which resembles in every respect the standard desks now in use. The metal strips forming portions of the inner side walls of the grooves prevent wear and binding, while the outer wooden walls of said grooves prevent noise. In this manner a noiseless, durable, and freeacting connection is provided for the slidable top.

Shields 30 are secured to the back 3 and the ledge 14 of the desk and cover the ends of the flexible portions of the desk-top. The front end of the top is cut away in the form of a semicircle, as at 31, to fit the body of the person using the desk. By drawing the desk-top forward it is not necessary to lean forward and over the desk, as an erect posi tion will be found more convenient and very comfortable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A desk having side standards provided with elevated portions at their inner ends extending above the plane of the upper edges of said standards and having upward and forwardly curved slots opening at the upper edges of said standards, said elevated portions having lateral flanges and a dovetail portion above said flanges, a ledge provided with dovetail grooves to fit the dovetailed portions of said elevated portions and overhanging said elevated portions to lie above the open ends of said slots, and a slidable top hlaving a flexible portion extending into said s ots.

2. A desk having standards provided with upwardly and forwardly curved slots opening at the upper ends thereof, a wooden slidable top having a rigid front'portion and a flexible rear portion, said flexible portion onlybeing adapted to enter said slots, said top having a groove near each side edge extending through said entire flexible portion and through said rigid portion to a point near the front edge thereof, each of said grooves having one wall of that'part formed in the rigid portion of said top formed of metal, the top of the standards fitting into said grooves.

3. A desk having standards provided with inwardly-directed flanges at their upper ends and having rearwardly and downwardly curved guide-slots at their rear ends, a slidable top lying on said standards and comprising a rigid front portion and a flexible rear portion, said flexible portion only being adapted to enter said guide-slots, said top being provided on its under side with guidegrooves, and metal strips on the rigid portion of the top only and extending into said grooves and lying underneath the inwardlydirected flanges on the standards.

4. A desk having side standards provided with inwardly and outwardly directed flanges near the upper edges thereof and with inwardly-directed flanges at said edges, and a slidable top supported on the first-mentioned flanges and having guide-grooves on its under side, and metal strips extending into said grooves and lying underneath the second mentioned flanges.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing wltnesses.

WILLIAM H. STOCKMAN.

lVitnesses:

EMIL NEUI-IART, MAY F. SEWERT.

IOO 

